[GMS] A Better Maple – Answers Released!

 

The MapleStory Team has posted answers to questions submitted and voted on by the community for the A Better Maple project. Check out all the answers below.

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Questions		Responses
4.5 13874 votes	[BOSSES / PQS] Is there a chance the minimum number of party members may be lowered for some bosses? I’d really like to try to solo/duo bosses -or- I’m having a hard time getting together a full party/expedition.		XENO / PROGRAMMING Some of the boss fights require a minimum party size so that cooperation and communication between party members can help vanquish the boss. But we do realize that many players are finding it difficult to find the minimum number of required players for parties. We will try to expand some of the boss fights so that they can be carried out solo, as long as this doesn’t negatively affect the game. You might be able to solo Horntail in the near future!
4.3 13630 votes	[BOSSES / PQS] Why don’t you make party quests soloable? I want to get some of the party quest rewards, but: I’m having difficulty getting a party together – or- I just want to play by myself.		DOROTHY / PROGRAMMING The consolidated party quest zone was created to make it easier for players to gather a party, though we are still receiving reports of players having difficulty forming them. We are working on making party gathering easier and will also develop some party quests that can be carried out alone. [Waltzing / Production] Some of you have noted that being able to do a party quest solo means that it’s no longer a party quest, and that a solo option would reduce positive interaction with other players. We want you to know that we are definitely taking your concerns into consideration when reviewing this content.
4.5 13635 votes	[BOSSES / PQS] Can you make party quests more challenging (better rewards, higher level monsters)?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER The party quests are created to meet certain level ranges so that friends with different levels can play together. We understand that we currently lack high level party quests so we are working on rectifying that.
2.6 12220 votes	[BOSSES / PQS] Can fansites have their own Create-a-Boss events?		CHAMA / BUSINESS Of course! We welcome it. [Waltzing / Production] We can’t guarantee that we’ll use designs that you make, but we would love to see your creative work!
4.4 12909 votes	[BOSSES / PQS] Why haven’t you removed the drop restrictions from Horntail and Chaos Horntail? Even unfunded players are negatively affected by them. The restrictions have been out of date for years.		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Horntail and Chaos Horntail needed some restrictions because when they were first introduced too many were released due to hacking and botters. We are discussing these restrictions to see if any of them can be adjusted or removed.
4.3 13052 votes	[BOSSES / PQS] Why did you buff so many of the bosses in Unleashed to the point where unfunded and even a lot of funded players can’t beat them? For example, Hard-mode Magnus, Cygnus, and the Mu Lung Dojo.		KAYLA / DESIGN First, we apologize that there are difficulties playing the game. Many types of boss monsters are being rolled back to levels before Unleashed in the RED update. In the future, we will collect player feedback on a regular basis and adjust the level of difficulty accordingly.
4.6 13403 votes	[BOSSES / PQS] Why did you remove some of the good drops from high-end bosses and make them available only through the Cash Shop?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER We adjusted drop rates for items dropped by bosses based on balance as characters become stronger. But if the changed drop rates are causing difficulties for players then those issues will be reviewed and changes made. [Waltzing / Production] There have also been various bugs related to the loot of some monsters this summer and fall. Some were removed due to mismatched data during an update, but some occurred due to a bug that was blocking the same items from loot tables from being dropped. Regarding the sales planning and reward lists for Gachapon-style items in question, the planning for these was done at a point in time well after the bugs were reported, and when fixes were expected to be released before the release of the corresponding sales. It is very unfortunate that the bugs continued to persist.
4.6 13320 votes	[BOSSES / PQS] Why did you make some of the bosses unbeatable and make their drops only available through the Cash Shop?		WALTZING / PRODUCTION This is a design concern we have as well, and it has been brought up even more frequently here since we found out about the boss buffs that were being included in Unleashed. Some bosses were buffed in a way to try make them more of a challenge (Von Leon and the Chaos version of Zakum and Horntail), but these buffs weren’t justified by the quality of the loot from these bosses. Other boss buffs far outstripped what could be considered reasonable rebalances, including buffs to bosses that already required a lot of funding to defeat. In addition to reverting the stats for these bosses, we’re adding cubes as drops to various monsters to help bridge the power gap that has to be crossed to defeat the strongest bosses.
4.7 14041 votes	[BOSSES / PQS] Why did you make the game so pay-to-win? A group of unfunded players can’t beat some of the strongest bosses, and yet the strongest bosses have the best drops to help us fund ourselves!		ANNA / TEAM LEADER We understand your concern and apologize for any difficulties you’ve encountered playing the game. Back in October we held events that gave away free enhancement items to help ease the gap in player levels. We plan on devising other solutions to improve on this issue in the future. [Waltzing / Production] We’re trying to have more permanent ways to lessen the pay-to-win aspects of the game, such as by having the new Craftsman and Meister cubes drop directly from bosses instead of only being craftable. We’re also trying to have various items associated with pay-to-win available outside of the Cash Shop, hopefully expanding on this in future updates.
4.4 12959 votes	[BOSSES / PQS] In Unleashed, why didn’t you add Miracle Cube drops to bosses? And why didn’t you add the Additional Options system? KMS added both of those in Unlimited. Those changes seem like they would have helped unfunded players and lessened the pay-to-win feel of the game.		WALTZING / PRODUCTION Rectifying the lack of cube drops has been a point of discussion for a while. Epic-tier Occult Cubes were added to the drops of several bosses in v.142. Although that was an improvement, having only these cubes drops wasn’t enough for the direction we had been wanting to go, so better cubes have been added to boss drops in v.143. [Anna / Team Leader] Having many different cubes confused players, so in the RED update we’ve reduced the number of cubes and introduced a new, upgraded version that you can acquire in a number of ways. As for the Additional Options system, this was causing balancing issues and due to complaints from players we did not integrate it into GMS.
4.4 13026 votes	[BOSSES / PQS] Why don’t you release more content that encourages players to congregate and work together, so that the community can return to what it used to be years ago?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER The development team agrees that the game needs more content to keep the community active. Content aimed at improving our community is currently in the works, so keep your eyes open.
4.6 13325 votes	[BOSSES / PQS] Most party quests haven’t been good for EXP in a while, in comparison to solo grinding, and the EXP for some party quests was lowered even more in the v.141 – Cygnus Awakening update. This seems to negatively affect the community aspect of the game. Can you improve party quest EXP to encourage people to play together more? Can you make party quests a viable alternative to solo grinding in terms of the rate of gaining EXP?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Yes, we will look into the issue you mentioned and overhaul balancing in the future.

Questions		Responses
4 13650 votes	[BUGS] Why don’t you fix bugs as soon as they’re discovered? And why haven’t you fixed all the bugs in the Known Issues list already?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER For bugs to be fixed, they must first be reported to our development team, who will work on reproducing them. However, if the bug cannot be reproduced, it may take longer to provide a fix. As we understand how frustrating this can be for players, we are working on ways to fix bugs quicker.
2.4 12958 votes	[BUGS] Why don’t you take the game down until all of the bugs are fixed?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER If the bug is a critical bug that affects all players then we close the game down to fix that bug and we do not open the game until then. But if the bug is not critical and if not all players are affected by it, then we feel that we cannot sacrifice all players for the sake of a few players. So we wait for the scheduled maintenance but we understand this can be a source of frustration for the players. We will work to fix the bugs quicker. [Waltzing / Production] We have test and development servers to minimize the downtime of the live servers. This lets the designers and programmers work on almost all fixes ahead of time, instead of having to wait until the live game is down.

Questions		Responses
4.3 16637 votes	[CLASSES] Are we ever going to get the 5th job advancement?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Currently there are no plans for the 5th Job Advancement but there will be updates aimed at high level characters, including level cap increases. Expect great things for high leveled characters in the near future.
3.5 14885 votes	[CLASSES] Are the Hero and Resistance classes ever getting revamps?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Yes, they will be revamped soon.
3.4 14619 votes	[CLASSES] Are the Nova and Sengoku classes going to be expanded to include other jobs?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER There are no plans to expand the Nova and Sengoku classes at this time.
2.6 14090 votes	[CLASSES] Why did Angelic Buster get double-nerfed? I read that she got nerfs from both CMS and KMS.		UNAGON / DESIGN When we first released Angelic Buster in Korea, she was a little overpowered, so we had to nerf her. To prevent GMS players from having to endure that feeling of loss, we gave you guys the nerfed version from the start. Right now, your Angelic Buster is identical to Korea’s Angelic Buster. However, we understand that many of you still found the nerf upsetting, and we’ll try harder to take your feelings into consideration in how we correct future imbalances.
2.8 14204 votes	[CLASSES] Why’d you change Luminious’s story and gameplay from the KMS version? They seemed cooler there!		ANNA / TEAM LEADER When Luminous was put into KMS, dividing his Good and Evil sides caused problems for many players. We decided to resolve the issue by making it easier for new players to try out Luminous. We understand that changing Luminous’ character is disappointing to those who liked his original incarnation- we will keep this in mind the next time we integrate KMS content.

Questions		Responses
2.8 12637 votes	[GUILDS] Why aren’t Guild Points character-specific and transferable?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Guild points are only given to guilds and are thus not usable by individual characters.
2.8 12507 votes	[GUILDS] Can you update the Guild Points per hour setting now that the max character level is 250?		UNAGON / DESIGN Guilds are being updated in KMS and we will try to implement your request in the near future.
2.9 12670 votes	[GUILDS] Why don’t quests give Guild Points?		UNAGON / DESIGN Guild points can only be earned for an actual guild, and are distinct from points and EXP gained from quests.

Questions		Responses
3.6 15358 votes	[HACKS / CS] What’s being done to stop the widespread abuse of hacks damaging the meso economy?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER The development team considers this a very serious issue and they take every possible measure to counter such issues when they are discovered. Meso balances are checked on a daily basis and hack forums are monitored regularly to catch cheaters before they strike. As soon as a problem is brought to our attention, we take action. [Senior GM Borsham / Customer Support]We know it’s very important to provide an experience where honest players are able to enjoy the game without fear of cheaters. We always strive to improve the hack detection systems we have in place to prevent abuse. Using third party programs is against our Terms of Use and will always result in account closure if anyone is found using them.
4.2 15857 votes	[HACKS / CS] Why do some tickets take so long to get answered? Some people wait months, even years!		SENIOR GM BORSHAM / CUSTOMER SUPPORT We are aware that certain types of tickets can take longer to receive responses. We are working on improving our response time for all tickets. Implementing these improvements is a long and involved process, so we truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve it.
3.5 14723 votes	[HACKS / CS] Why did you guys ban so many legit players this summer? A lot of people were posting about it on the forums.		SENIOR GM BORSHAM / CUSTOMER SUPPORT We recently revised the policies and guidelines we have in place for bans and posted them on our game forums, as well as on our Customer Support website. Some players were actioned before we made our new banning policies public. We have made the necessary corrections and are always thinking of ways to improve our players’ experience.
3.6 14467 votes	[HACKS / CS] How come you don’t send screenshots or videos to the people who’ve been banned, to prove to them that the ban was legit?		SENIOR GM BORSHAM / CUSTOMER SUPPORT Screenshots and videos contain internal information we do not wish to make public. However, we are working on ways to more effectively explain to players why they have been banned. Unfortunately, this is still a work in progress and not yet available at this time; however, if you were banned and submit a ticket, we’ll be able to look into it and provide you with more concrete information.
4.1 14697 votes	[HACKS / CS] How come I still see the hacker/scammer/farmer/gold seller I reported running around? Shouldn’t they have gotten banned?		SENIOR GM BORSHAM / CUSTOMER SUPPORT Some of these players take time to locate and their offenses take time to verify. Our GMs are in the game 24/7, looking into these reports and proactively addressing illicit activity whenever they see it.
4.3 15011 votes	[HACKS / CS] How come you don’t ban well-known hackers? You know, the ones who openly talk about hacking and brag about not getting banned?		SENIOR GM BORSHAM / CUSTOMER SUPPORT We investigate all hacking reports, and once verified, we take the appropriate action. These do take time to investigate, and thus action may not be instantaneous.
3.3 13922 votes	[HACKS / CS] Why haven’t you added the Lie Detector test that KMS uses? Aren’t they a good way to cut down on hackers and botters?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER In the past, the normal Lie Detector inconvenienced some players, so it was not integrated into the game. However, the Explosive Lie Detector may be implemented in the future. We are planning to add it after making improvements that will insure normal players are not negatively affected. [Waltzing / Production] It should be noted that Lie Detectors were too easy to exploit and allowed cheaters to grief legit players. [Senior GM Borsham / Customer Support]We are always trying to improve the tools and processes we have for detecting hackers and botters.
2.6 13951 votes	[HACKS / CS] Why don’t you just make the game unhackable? That’d solve so many problems!		SENIOR GM BORSHAM / CUSTOMER SUPPORT Some hacks are easily detectable initially, but then evolve, requiring us to constantly update our anti-hacking tools. Rest assured, we are always trying to address hacks as quickly as possible. [Waltzing / Production] As many of you have pointed out when this question pops up, it’s not actually possible to make the software completely unhackable: even networks and software that are supposed to be private and have security to make them such get hacked. However, we do quite regularly look into how we can have increased security against hacking.

Questions		Responses
3.2 12063 votes	[ITEMS] Will there ever be a function for shops (Store Permits, Mushroom Stores, etc.) that allows us to set discounts on items or offer promotional packages?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER We think this is a great idea! We will check to see if this is possible and proceed if we can.
4.8 14411 votes	[ITEMS] Why can’t non-NX items be shared across all characters in an account? Why are so many items untradeable or tradeable only with a Sharing Tag or Scissors of Karma? If I earned an item, I think I should be allowed to trade it between characters on my account.		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Rare items are not tradable so as to keep the game balanced. Also, trade is limited to prevent hacks or accidental trades. While we understand this may be frustrating, this system was designed to keep your rare items safe.
4.8 14222 votes	[ITEMS] Why aren’t Cash Shop inventories combined, so we can move the items we bought between characters regardless of class? I heard that JMS has theirs combined already.		ANNA / TEAM LEADER We’re starting to investigate making this kind of change. In the RED update Jett, Dual Blades, and Cannoneers are now able to share their Cash Shop inventory with other Explorers. If this change works out well, we will review the possibilities for other job classes and will consider expanding the list of job classes that can share.
4.5 13563 votes	[ITEMS] Why aren’t decorative Cash items permanent, like in KMS?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Making decorative items permanent may inconvenience players due to the lack of inventory space allowed for storing those types of items. However, in the future we will be hosting promotions that will allow you to purchase permanent decorative items.
2.6 11893 votes	[ITEMS] Why do Totems and Gloves have their own UI window? Can’t they be added to the main window?		ZEROFX / PROGRAMMING We plan to revamp the UI early next year, and will consider including the Totem and Glove.
3.6 12223 votes	[ITEMS] Can you create a way for us to preview non-Cash items on our character before we buy them? For example, from NPC or Free Market shops.		JAHNU / BUSINESS We will see if we can do this in an upcoming 2014 update.
2.8 12216 votes	[ITEMS] Can you raise the max number of mesos that each character can carry?		WALTZING / PRODUCTION The meso cap was raised considerably in the Unleashed update. More than the meso cap, we’re right now concerned about the the amount of Free Market inflation over the years that has resulted in prices that exceed the meso cap, which can result in risky trading. We’re hoping the reduction of pay-to-win aspects will help lower some prices. Constantly raising the meso cap or raising it massively doesn’t address issues of game balance that resulted in the desire to have a higher meso cap.
3.6 12266 votes	[ITEMS] Why are there so many Cube items? Why not keep it simple and just have one?		JAHNU / BUSINESS We agree that there are too many cubes! As such, we’re combining the cubes into two types for your convenience: Red Cube and Black Cube, available in the RED update. [Waltzing / Production] There will be the two types of Cash cubes that Jahnu mentioned, and two types of cubes from professions.
3.3 12233 votes	[ITEMS] How come Name Change items aren’t available anymore?		WALTZING / PRODUCTION The process to change names doesn’t always run at the same speed, and can thus cause maintenance scheduling issues. However, it’s definitely a useful system and we will look into if it’s feasible to implement it again some way in the future. [JamesB / Programmer] When name changing and world transfer occurred at the same time, it made maintenance last longer, so the sale of such items has ceased.
4.5 13114 votes	[ITEMS] Can you add a non-NX search feature to the Free Market? This seems to be pretty common for auction houses and similar systems in MMORPGs these days, yet the Owl of Minerva still costs NX.		ANNA / TEAM LEADER This issue should be resolved when the new Auction House has been added in an upcoming update. We also will be making the Owl of Minerva available for use through a free event in December. Price adjustments will also be made so that those using the Owl of Minerva are not inconvenienced in the future.
4.1 12602 votes	[ITEMS] Can you add a section to the Free Market for players to list free items?		XENO / PROGRAMMING The Auction House will added to the Free Market area in an upcoming update, which allows up to ten items to be sold or purchased with no limits to search functions. We know some of you are strapped for cash, so it’ll only cost a 3% processing fee to use.
3.8 12283 votes	[ITEMS] Why don’t pets automatically come with certain skills, like in some other MS services?		DOROTHY / PROGRAMMING Pet skills in GMS are listed as equipment items so that you can equip any skills to any pet. However, expect a fix to your issue sometime early next year.
4.3 13175 votes	[ITEMS] Why aren’t all pets permanent?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER We will consider making all pets permanent.
4.5 13146 votes	[ITEMS] Why are there junk Potentials? If I paid to reset my Potentials, I expect to get lines that may be useful. For example, Potentials that raise Accuracy, or Potentials that change my character’s facial expression.		ZEROFX / PROGRAMMING With the RED update, facial expressions and Accuracy stats are no longer in the list of Potential stats you can get.
4.6 13323 votes	[ITEMS] Why is the Accuracy stat still used as a bonus on equips? The Accuracy stat has been almost completely meaningless since Big Bang! Accuracy is now almost entirely based on your character’s level versus a monster’s level.		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Accuracy is a stat that was only meaningful in past. Since it no longer has any great significance, we have removed it from the Potential option in the RED update.
4.4 12573 votes	[ITEMS] Why aren’t Miracle Circulators available without spending NX? I might as well have kept my Inner Ability rank at Unique instead of moving up to Legendary with stats that I can’t reset. Can you add regularly-available ways to get them through normal gameplay to benefit everyone?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER We will look into this and see if it is possible.
4.5 12756 votes	[ITEMS] Bosses dropping Epic-tier Occult Cubes was a nice first step in allowing access to cubes to players without NX, but you can’t be competitive against the harder bosses with Epic-tier Potential. Can you add regularly-available ways to get Unique-tier Occult Cubes or regular Miracle Cubes through normal gameplay?		KAYLA / DESIGN Occult Cube drops have been removed in the RED update, and now Craftsman’s Cubes and Meister’s Cubes will drop from various boss monsters instead.
4.5 12830 votes	[ITEMS] There’s no way to reset the Bonus Potential on my equips without spending NX, meaning that players with little or no NX can never be as competitive as players with a lot of NX. Can you add regularly-available ways to get them through normal gameplay to benefit everyone?		WALTZING / PRODUCTION We’re looking into this.
4.4 12619 votes	[ITEMS] Protection scrolls are very scarce, but they’re very helpful when scrolling equipment. Can you add regularly-available ways to get them through normal gameplay to benefit everyone? Can you also add them permanently to the Cash Shop, or at least sell them more often?		UNAGON / DESIGN We have added an in-game version of the Protection Scroll to the RED Coin Shop in the RED update. Be sure to purchase it!
3.9 12195 votes	[ITEMS] I blew up/dropped my Ghost Ship Exorcist badge / Krexel Pauldron, and there isn’t a way to replace it. Can you make a way to get these items again?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER We will consider it.
3.5 11943 votes	[ITEMS] Wedding rings don’t have effects anymore after the wedding system was updated a couple of years ago, but getting the effect was one of the main reasons I got married in MapleStory. Can you add the old effects to the current rings?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER We will look into this and see if it is possible to put wedding ring effects back into the game early next year.
4.3 12554 votes	[ITEMS] The Nebulite Box drop rate is pretty abysmal. Nebulites seemed to be a good way for all players to become stronger when they first came out, but now they’re very rare because they almost never drop. Can you increase the drop rate for the boxes or add more ways to get them?		UNAGON / DESIGN Nebulite Boxes will become available in the NLC NPC shop sometime after January.
4.2 12356 votes	[ITEMS] Can you make coupons that allow us to choose which REG/Royal face/hairstyle we want? It’s really frustrating to just have a random chance at a style, and I only have enough NX for a couple of tickets. I don’t want to risk ending up with a style I don’t like!		JAHNU / BUSINESS We will see if it’s possible to reduce the price or make REG coupons available through other means.

Questions		Responses
4.1 14709 votes	[LAG] A lot of us have been experiencing lag in towns; it’s been a problem for us since the Legends update. It mostly happens around Gaga, Cassandra, and the Maple Administrator, but it also happens to some of us around Cody, as well. When will you fix that?		KAYLA / DESIGN The RED update now makes Cassandra, Maple Administrator, and other seasonal NPCs appear only in a separate event map that can be reached through the Dimensional Mirror. Lag issues should be reduced. [Waltzing / Production] Please keep us posted on our official forums if the situation improves for you, and specifics of any lag you may still be experiencing.
3.9 14348 votes	[LAG] Why does MapleStory have lag at all? I play newer and more graphically-intense games with much less lag!		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Lag occurs for a variety of reasons. Computer specs, internet speeds, and number of players playing the game are some of the causes of lag, and as such it’s often difficult to pinpoint the root cause. However, we understand this is an inconvenience and are busy working on fixing some of the towns with greater lag. The RED update has removed some NPCs from towns to improve lag.
3.7 13757 votes	[LAG] Why’d you make it so everyone has to go into a single channel for the Evolution System lobby? It lags so badly in there because of that!		ANNA / TEAM LEADER It was developed to go through one channel due to limitations in the system structure, but we will look into it to see if we can alleviate inconveniences like lag issues.

Questions		Responses
3.9 13860 votes	[LOGIN/ DISCONNECTION ISSUES] When will you fix the disconnection problem where players disconnect or crash every 15, 20, or 30 minutes?		JAMESB / PROGRAMMING Disconnects happen for a lot of different reasons. To help us pinpoint all the causes, please provide a detailed report on the bug report forum or via a Customer Support ticket with the following information: a DxDiag report, your internet connection, your account/character, and the time the incident occurred.
2.9 13078 votes	[LOGIN/ DISCONNECTION ISSUES] When will you fix the login problem where no worlds appear on the world select screen?		JAMESB / PROGRAMMING This login problem happens for a lot of different reasons. To help us pinpoint all the causes, please provide a detailed report on the bug report forum or via a Customer Support ticket with the following information: a DxDiag report, your internet connection, your account/character, and the time the incident occurred.
3.1 12961 votes	[LOGIN/ DISCONNECTION ISSUES] When will you fix the login problem where I get a server check message when trying to launch the client?		JAMESB / PROGRAMMING There could be a lot of different causes for this problem, so the next time it happens, please take a screenshot, then file a detailed Customer Support ticket that includes info about your internet connection, your account/character, and the time the incident occurred.
3.2 13011 votes	[LOGIN/ DISCONNECTION ISSUES] When will you fix the problem that prevents me from launching the client?		JAMESB / PROGRAMMING Game launching problems happen for a lot of different reasons. To help us pinpoint all the causes, please provide a detailed report on the bug report forum or via a Customer Support ticket with the following information: a DxDiag report, your internet connection, your account/character, and the time the incident occurred.

Questions		Responses
4.4 14529 votes	[REWARDS / EXP] Why aren’t there better rewards (as in, more EXP) for solo play?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Based on player feedback, we have determined that there is a balancing issue in rewards dispensation for solo and party play. Additional rebalancing in the future will correct this issue.
4.5 14193 votes	[REWARDS / EXP] Why don’t quest rewards scale to level, so that they can still be useful at higher levels?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Quest rewards are designed around the levels themselves, meaning that if a level was designed for a low-level player, it will dispense a low-level reward.
3.9 13240 votes	[REWARDS / EXP] In the Unleashed update, why did you nerf the EXP of the most popular monsters to train on in Masteria?		WALTZING / PRODUCTION The overly-high EXP of these monsters was a bug. As this went unnoticed for so long, many players unfortunately began to believe that this was a normal part of the game. Because of this, many players would farm EXP in Masteria, attaining high levels without exploring the rest of MapleStory’s worlds and in-game systems. This caused a division in the community, and we received many complaints about it. All of this resulted in the bugged EXP being fixed.
4.2 12914 votes	[REWARDS / EXP] I know you got rid of the whole EXP penalty for fighting monsters below your level in Cygnus Awakening, but I’m still curious about something. Why did you add an EXP penalty to monsters above Lv. 150 (who were previously exempt from it) in Unleashed?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER The monster penalty was added to prevent abuse, but players were inconvenienced more than abuse was prevented, so the penalty was removed.

Questions		Responses
3.3 13782 votes	[SERVER] Can you add a Supreme mode, like EMS and JMS have? This seems like it would be a good way to please players who want more of a challenge.		ANNA / TEAM LEADER We will consider it.
2.9 13354 votes	[SERVER] Why was Tespia closed, and why hasn’t it been reopened for the new updates? Will you ever reopen it?		WALTZING / PRODUCTION Some of the biggest problems include players using hacks and players manipulating code to update private servers ahead of the official game update’s release. Tespia also required its own server and detracted from other development resources, and few players were ever logged into it simultaneously to provide stress testing. Most of the major issues reported by Tespians had actually already been written up by the QA team, and there were extensive issues with false bug reports or bug reports that contained text unrelated to bugs. We decided maintaining it was not in the best interests of our larger player base.
3.7 14245 votes	[SERVER] Is a world merge a possibility? I’m having a hard time doing party quests and bosses because there aren’t a lot of people who play in my world. There also aren’t a lot of shops up in the Free Market.		WALTZING / PRODUCTION We’re looking into the possibility of doing another world merge. We are also looking into improvements that could be made in these areas that wouldn’t require more worlds to be merged.

Questions		Responses
3.7 13503 votes	[STORY / LORE] Can you release new story plots on a regular, predictable basis to keep the game interesting?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Yes, the plans are to continue releasing the story plots with development of new content.
2.8 12944 votes	[STORY / LORE] Is the Black Mage one of the NPCs in the game?		WALTZING / PRODUCTION You’ll get a chance to meet the Black Mage if you play through the new Explorer storyline being introduced in RED. In the first half of 2014, you’ll get a chance to meet him in the past when he was still the White Mage.
4.2 14364 votes	[STORY / LORE] Is the Black Mage going to be a real, fightable boss in the future?		WALTZING / PRODUCTION We haven’t received information if he will be, but the story seems to be headed that way. We’re hoping that KMS has plans to develop this at some point, since they create almost all of the content connected to the Black Mage storyline.

Questions		Responses
4.6 13554 votes	[SYSTEMS/ OPTIONS] The word filter is way too strict. In addition to making the filter less strict, can you either have a toggle option to turn it on or off on my own client, or improve the system so it doesn’t censor parts of normal words?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER The word filter has been updated in the RED update, and we are working to make it even better in the future.
4.1 12115 votes	[SYSTEMS/ OPTIONS] We didn’t get Additional Options with Unleashed, even though KMS did with their corresponding update. This system seems like a great way for all players to be more competitive, not just the ones with lots of NX. A few people said that the system in KMS had problems, though. Will we be getting Additional Options? Were there problems with the system, and would these problems be fixed if we get the system?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER The introduction of the stats to KMS was controversial as it caused issues for players with existing high-value items. Therefore, we did not introduce it in GMS. We are still weighing the pros and cons of adding these stats, and if we do, it will only be after we implement a number of improvements.
4.2 12450 votes	[SYSTEMS/ OPTIONS] We haven’t gotten the Soul Weapon system yet (KMS version or JMS version). This system seems like a great way for unfunded players to be more competitive, and it seems interesting to use. Are we going to get this system?		XENO / PROGRAMMING The truth is, if you look at the stats, Soul Weapons aren’t particularly good. If enough players want the Soul Weapon system we will consider putting it back in, but keep in mind it will make the weapon tool tip even longer. We want to make sure this isn’t too great of an inconvenience to the player community.
4.1 12248 votes	[SYSTEMS/ OPTIONS] I still can’t get the Coco card and some of the other cards to finish the Silent Crusade set in the Crusader Codex, ever since the Silent Crusade revamp. Can you make a way to get the cards?		UNAGON / DESIGN Expect a fix to this after January.
4.1 12515 votes	[SYSTEMS/ OPTIONS] I’m playing a character that has voiceovers for some skills. I want to play with my sound effects on, but I don’t want to hear the voiceovers over and over again. Can you split voiceovers off into their own sound option that can be turned off and on?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER We will look into ways to make this possible.
4.3 12610 votes	[SYSTEMS/ OPTIONS] I tend to lag when fighting bosses, especially when the bosses and a lot of party members are spamming big skills at the same time. The skill effects also make it hard to see what’s happening, and can hide when a boss does certain skills like Damage Reflect. I’d like to be able to turn off visual effects like damage numbers and skill graphics to reduce lag and to see better. Is this an option we can get?		XENO / PROGRAMMING We’ve already implemented fixes that eliminate other players’ skill effects in certain boss maps like Magnus and Root Abyss, and are adding a system option that can turn other players’ effects off regardless of location. Expect this sometime after the RED update.
3.9 12347 votes	[SYSTEMS/ OPTIONS] Can you add a preview option for REG hairstyles, like with VIP ones? It’s inconvenient to have to ask around about which hairstyle is where, and I’m not sure if some information I get is current.		JAHNU / BUSINESS Expect a fix to this after January.
4.5 13357 votes	[SYSTEMS/ OPTIONS] Can you raise the maximum number of character slots? I read that KMS went up to thirty per world when they released the Wind Archer revamp.		ANNA / TEAM LEADER The max on character slots has been upped in the RED update.

Questions		Responses
4.5 15023 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] How come there aren’t more places to train for Lv. 160+ characters? When are you going to add more?		KAYLA / DESIGN A new area called Commerci has been added in the RED update, and it’s teeming with Lv. 160 monsters! If that’s not tough enough for you, even higher level monsters are being added in a new area called Kritias, coming next year. [Waltzing / Production] Ninja Castle is undergoing a revamp so it focuses on characters that are Lv. 160 and above, as well.
3.3 12919 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Can you add more questlines to places like Showa?		UNAGON / DESIGN Quests will be gradually added to the non-KMS content – namely, World Tour areas – in the near future.
4.1 13646 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Why did you ruin Masteria in early 2012? You broke so many quests and ruined the old gameplay of that area! Will we ever get a revamp or expansion to it? Will it ever be changed back to the way it used to be?		UNAGON / DESIGN The version of Masteria from before the 2012 revamp will be put back into the game sometime early next year.
3.2 12860 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Why did you remove Ninja Castle? Why can’t we have both Ninja Castle and Sakura Castle?		UNAGON / DESIGN Ninja Castle will return sometime early next year. [Waltzing / Production] We’re updating the story behind Ninja Castle to make its story fit in better with Sakura Castle, and it is being rebalanced as well.
2.6 13139 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Why’d you shorten the transit time between regions? People used to hang out and chat on the ship between Victoria Island and Orbis.		ANNA / TEAM LEADER If we get enough requests from players to make transit times longer, we will consider making a change. [Waltzing / Production] It’s important to remember that reduced transit times and faster transit methods were introduced as a direct result of a considerable amount of player feedback over the years, as well as the need from a game design perspective to have new regions of the world be more accessible so many players will be willing to visit them. We have to take these into consideration as well regarding this topic.
3.4 13185 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Why did you change Victoria Island so much in Big Bang? For example, most of the hidden areas were removed and the maps are smaller and simpler now.		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Big Bang came about directly from player feedback over the course of MapleStory’s first few years. As part of this, Victoria Island was changed because players felt the island was frustrating to navigate. However, there are some elements of the maps that can still be improved, so we plan to make further changes in the future. [Waltzing / Production] From an additional perspective, since Victoria Island is a low-level area, its more complicated map designs and map flow were considered too cumbersome after the Big Bang update. Big Bang allowed players to level up faster, and thus exploring the vast expanse of Victoria Island would have become even more frustrating. For quite some time before the Big Bang update, many long-time players were already almost exclusively using taxis and town return scrolls to avoid the hassle of moving around Victoria Island. Also, as Maple World expanded with new regions and content outside of Victoria Island, it became necessary not to bottleneck players and slow their progression so early in the game.
3.2 12910 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Why did you remove the Slime tree in the Big Bang update? I have a lot of fond memories training there when I first started playing MapleStory several years ago.		KAYLA / DESIGN The map being mentioned is one of several hunting grounds that were revamped to make it easier for low-level players to progress. [Waltzing / Production] Sadly, the Slime Tree wasn’t being heavily used for some time before the Big Bang update, and it did not fit into the new gameplay flow of Victoria Island, as Kayla mentioned. However, the music from the area is very popular, so we’ve put it in other hunting maps throughout the Ellinia area. We’re also keeping this map in mind if we discuss having another Old Maple event.
3.6 13255 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Why did you remove Henesys Hunting Ground in the Big Bang update? People used to hang out there and show off their skills.		KAYLA / DESIGN We want to bring these maps back to life in an upcoming event so stay tuned… [Waltzing / Production] A small number of experienced players would often kill steal new players especially in Henesys Hunting Ground I. This hazing provided a bad experience for new players, and kill stealing is against our Terms of Use. Aside from the kill stealers, we found that these maps actually weren’t a popular place to hang out for quite some time before Big Bang. Like the Slime tree, though, we’re keeping these maps in mind should there be another Old Maple event, so that players who did enjoy them when they were popular places to hang out can enjoy them again, even if it’s just for a little while.
4.1 13244 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Will Gate to the Future ever be expanded beyond Henesys Ruins, Knight Stronghold, and Twilight Perion?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER If you’re looking for high-level content, then you’re in luck- the upcoming Kritias content was tailor-made for high-level players, so keep your eyes peeled! [Waltzing / Production] If you’re looking for a story expansion in this area and to see what other destroyed sections of the island will look like, we haven’t received any news from KMS on their plans with this area. Explorers who play through their new storyline in the RED update will be able to visit destroyed Maple Island, though.
3.7 12858 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Will Global MapleStory ever get the other World Tours?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER There are no plans for such an expansion at this time.
4.1 13161 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Why don’t the theme dungeons have different difficulty levels, so that players of all levels can participate in them?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Theme Dungeons are designed according to specific level ranges. However, we will consider creating a theme dungeon that can be enjoyed by all level ranges.
4 13390 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Why did you remove party play from Lion King’s Castle in the Unleashed update?		WALTZING / PRODUCTION From player feedback and our own in-game observations, we found that there was very little positive community interaction in this area while Party Play was active. The majority of players who were making use of this content were regularly engaging in Terms of Use violations like heavy leeching, kill stealing, hacking, botting, and benefiting from players who were hacking or botting. It was a toxic environment and we received a large volume of complaints about it. [Anna / Team Leader] It was removed because it had sections where EXP was being severely abused. We’re looking into other ways to encourage partying that are more positive for the community.
3.5 12363 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Can you make Twisted Aqua Road flow more like other theme dungeons? Right now, not enough monsters spawn per map (even though quests require a lot of hunting), a lot of the monsters don’t even belong underwater, and I can walk straight to the bosses and fight them without completing any quests.		ANNA / TEAM LEADER It would be possible to change the Twisted Aqua Road into more of a Theme Dungeon, so we will look into it further and make changes.
2.7 12403 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] I’m still waiting on Jett to get Hyper Skills. When is it going to happen? And are there plans to give Jett a revamp or a rebalance to be more competitive?		ANNA / TEAM LEADER Jett’s hyper skills have been added in the RED update! However, rebalacing Jett may take some time, so please be patient and check the MapleStory site for more information in the future.
4.3 13544 votes	[TRAINING / LOCATIONS] Evan is the only character/job that requires NX to max all his skills. While some games have premium characters that require purchase to use, this is really unusual for MapleStory. Can you make Evan’s Mastery Books available through regular gameplay instead of Cash?		WALTZING / PRODUCTION We’re looking into making changes in an upcoming update so that Evan either no longer requires the current Mastery Books that cost NX, or the books cost mesos instead of NX. [Jahnu / Business] The Mastery Book system has been revamped in the RED update. You can purchase the universal Mastery Book from Leafre’s new NPC, Illiad. In addtion, Dual Blades can now purchase a Training Book from Taeha of the Secret Garden to level up 2nd and 3rd Skill levels.